Just Desserts
by mamabean
Summary: AH/AU - Shy college student Bella Swan has never been on a real date. What will it take for her to give love a chance? A one-shot entry for the FML Contest.


**FML Contest**

**Title: **Just Desserts

**Pen name: **jen4310

**Characters: **Edward & Bella

**Disclaimer: **I (sadly) don't own Twilight, or FML

Thanks a million to my awesome beta, **Krismom**! You're the best! Any remaining mistakes are mine.

FML prompt at the end of the fic

* * *

The minute I stepped in the door of my tiny apartment I knew something was up. Alice, my roommate and best friend, was waiting for me with a shit-eating grin on her face and both hands behind her back.

"Oh Be-lla" she said in a sing-song voice. "Guess what?"

I just stared at her.

"You got a package…" she continued singing teasingly and giggling.

I crossed my arms and raised my eyebrows. I knew if I reached for the package she would run, and it had been a long day. I definitely wasn't in the mood to chase a mischievous little sprite around our apartment trying to get a package that I wasn't even expecting.

"I'll give you a hint," she said, as her grin grew larger. "Your package came… and now so can you!" She collapsed in giggles, but I was still clueless.

"What's going on, Ali?" I asked cautiously.

"Remember what you ordered online a few nights ago?" she prodded, smiling like a maniac and trying to suppress her laughter.

Oh, shit. I was hoping that was just a drunken dream.

After too many shots of tequila a few nights before, Alice had gotten obsessed with my sex life (or lack thereof). I was extremely shy, which meant I hadn't even really been on a date unless you count Mike Newton taking me to prom. He lived next door to me, was about as shy as I was, and had one leg shorter than the other. Mike's mom asked my dad, Charlie, if I would go to prom with Mike. Charlie had a sudden lapse of sanity and agreed, and so I went to prom.

Between our shared extreme shyness, Mike's balance problem and my extreme klutziness, we ended up driving to the school in silence and dancing in circles to a song or two before I tripped him. We tangled and tumbled onto the floor, knocking over the prom king and queen in the process as well as exposing my underwear to the entire gym full of my classmates. I was so embarrassed that I fled to the art room and locked myself in for the rest of the night. It was not the most romantic night of my life. I take that back, maybe it was – I certainly hadn't had any other romantic experiences. Ugh.

My one dating experience aside, Alice was beyond shocked when I shared with her during a drunken game of truth or dare that I was not only still a virgin, but I had never really…um… taken care of business properly myself. She promptly whipped out her laptop and got to work choosing the perfect toy to help me reached the orgasmic promised land, as she put it. My only allowed contribution was the color, which I knew immediately had to be the deep emerald green. It was the same color as _his_ eyes, and since I would be thinking of him while using this thing, the color was the obvious choice to my tequila-addled brain.

I was jolted out of my hazy drunken memories by Alice and the huge smirk on her face as she held out the package teasingly. "Come and get it!" she sang.

Thankfully, inspiration struck when I spotted her latest issue of _Vogue_ that had also arrived in the day's mail. I snatched the magazine off the table along with the lighter we used for candles. "All right, hand over the package or _Vogue_ goes up in flames!" I said in a mock-stern voice, my eyes dancing.

"No, NOOOOO!!! I surrender!" she cried, and threw the box to the floor at my feet.

"That's what I thought," I muttered as I handed her the magazine, then went to my room and closed the door to deal with my embarrassing delivery in private.

I sat on my bed and opened the plain cardboard exterior, pulling out a brightly colored box inside. I sat and stared at it for a while, but couldn't get up the nerve to open it, so I set it on the bed and ignored it in favor of my homework. I was really trying to focus on a paper for my English Literature class when there was a knock at my door.

Alice poked her head in and smiled encouragingly. "So, have you been getting acquainted?"

I rolled my eyes at her and turned back to my computer. "I don't even know what to do with that thing, Alice. I don't know why you made me get it."

She settled on my bed and continued to talk, although I was too embarrassed to look at her. "I thought you might need a little help. I'm not going to pull it out and demonstrate it or anything, but I wanted you to know I got you a pretty basic model since you're a newbie. Just rub it around outside and maybe… if you feel like it, put it in just a little?"

"ALICE!" My cheeks were flaming so hot that I thought my face might spontaneously combust.

"Sorry, sorry, I just want you to feel comfortable using it. Once you actually do the deed with a guy, I'll get you the deluxe rabbit model with the changeable attachments, but for now this should get the job done. I'll leave you two alone now… enjoy!"

Alice jumped off the bed and turned to go, as I sat at my desk with my face hidden in my hands.

"Oh, and Bella?" she turned back, and I exposed one eye to look at her. "You'll need these…" she tossed a package of AAA batteries and a tube of lubricant on my bed, and left with a wink.

I succeeded in ignoring the small pile of debauchery until I had written my paper about the themes of classism in _Pride and Prejudice_. It was one of my favorite books so the essay came fairly easily, but I was so distracted that I vowed to read it over the next day to make sure it was coherent.

After finishing my reading for the next day's classes, I couldn't delay any longer. With a deep sigh, I opened the box to pull out the cylindrical green toy, and turned it over in my hands as I pictured the man who inspired its purchase.

The most intense green eyes on earth belonged to Edward Cullen. Unfortunately, he had no clue that I even existed, much less that I was drunkenly ordering sex toys that reminded me of his eyes. He was a year or two older than me, but we were in some of the same classes at NYU. I was a biology major who had graduated high school early and studied hard to get ahead in college, and he was a pre-med student who was the epitome of male perfection. That was about the extent of my knowledge of him – we had never actually spoken.

We had Microbiology together last spring, and the first time he walked into class I was captivated by his copper hair and the aforementioned vibrant green eyes. Lowering my head so I was shielded by my protective curtain of long brown hair, I had watched him enter the room and was shocked to feel attraction and even what must be lust boil up inside of me. Despite the cold winter draft coming through the classroom's old windows, I suddenly felt warm all over.

My gaze followed him around the classroom, appreciating his beautiful ass in his designer jeans, the tan v-neck sweater that clung to his chest showing a hint of muscle definition, and his strong yet elegant hands, but I kept coming back to his eyes. They seemed to change color with his moods, darker when he was concentrating intently and lighter when he was laughing or talking with classmates. (Not that I was paying an unhealthy amount of attention or anything) I had watched him all semester, and went through Edward withdrawal over the summer even though I threw myself into more coursework than was probably sensible.

When he came through the door of my Advanced Biology lecture the first day of fall semester, I felt like I had won the lottery, and my permanent smile just got larger when it turned out he was in my lab section too. I now got to see him four days a week. And by see, I mean admire him unobtrusively from behind the safety of my hair. Although I had never worked up the nerve to say anything to him, the man figured prominently in my fantasies.

With another sigh, I put down the toy and went to the bathroom to get ready for bed before putting on my sleep shirt and returning to my bed. Hardly believing what I was doing, I loaded in the batteries and sat contemplating my next move. I felt like I should do or say something before just shoving it down there, but what was the sex toy equivalent of buying someone a drink?

"So…uh… how _you_ doin'…" I said to the vibrator in my best Joey Tribbiani impression.

I sounded so dumb that I rolled my eyes at myself before deciding to just get it over with. I squirted what I hoped was the right amount of lubricant on the tip, then turned it on and eased it southward under the hem of the t-shirt I used as sleepwear. I had gone without underwear in preparation for the evening's activities, so soon the buzzing green phallus was hitting places that hadn't had attention in… well, ever.

Hmm…

Huh.

That felt kind of… tingly? And good. Definitely good.

I closed my eyes and gave myself over to the sensation, and soon Edward appeared in my mind. I pictured him kissing me deeply, like I'd seen in movies, and imagined that his fingers were touching me. I moved my other hand up to my breast and squeezed experimentally, then pinched and rolled my nipples as I discovered what added to the pleasant sensation low in my belly.

Before I knew it I was moaning quietly and moving the vibrator up and down over my clit, and playing with my nipples like a pro with my other hand. I could feel something building, and so I kept going faster and faster until the tension inside my abdomen exploded in pulses of white-hot pleasure so great, I couldn't believe I hadn't tried this earlier.

When I calmed down, I turned off my new friend and wiped it lovingly with a damp washcloth. I felt more relaxed than I had in a long while, and decided right there and then that I could forgive Alice the embarrassment she inflicted.

I regarded my lovely green magic wand introspectively before relegating it to my nightstand drawer. "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," I mumbled, still embarrassed to be talking to a vibrator.

The next morning, Alice looked me over with a twinkle in her eye. "So, Bella, how did you… sleep last night?"

"Just fine, thanks, and that's all I'd like to say about that." I suddenly remembered something else I had to tell her, and was glad to change the subject quickly. "By the way, my Uncle Emmett and Aunt Rosalie are coming into town tonight, and they want to take us out to dinner. Is that okay?"

"Free food is always good with me. Plus your Uncle Emmett is so funny, and he's kind of hot for a relative," Alice pretended to swoon. "Too bad Rosalie is such a knockout."

"Stop it, enough crushing on my uncle!" I said, pretending to gag.

Uncle Emmett was my dad's brother, but he was about twelve years younger. I think he was a surprise for my grandparents, but Uncle Emmett was such a fun-loving, easygoing guy that we couldn't imagine the family without him. He had married Rosalie a few years ago, and though she was a little frosty at first she turned out to be nice enough, plus she kept him under control. They lived in upstate New York, but came to the city frequently to go to museums or see a show.

Since I lived all the way across the country from my dad and missed him a lot, I loved to see family and Uncle Emmett and Aunt Rosalie usually tried to stop in to see Alice and me when they were in town. Emmett had mentioned an Italian restaurant he wanted to try that was just six blocks from our apartment, so after confirming with Alice I e-mailed Emmett that we would meet them there at 7:00.

My morning classes dragged, and I had a little time to eat lunch before my Advanced Biology lecture. I was more than a little nervous to see Edward now that my obsessive crush had escalated into full-blown sexual fantasy complete with masturbation. Could something like that show on my face? What if he could somehow read my thoughts and find out what I'd been up to?

After reassuring myself that the possibility Edward could read my mind was very slim, I went to the classroom and took my usual seat, near the back but with a clear view of the door and the third row where Edward always sat. My heart sped up as he came in the door, talking with Eric Yorkie about some assignment that was due soon. I made sure my eyes were invisible behind my hair before drinking in the dark wash jeans and casual blue button-down shirt he was wearing today, appreciating the new haircut he'd gotten that still left his hair looking artfully tousled, and sneaking in several peeks at those amazing green eyes.

I didn't get much out of the lecture besides mentally developing some new ways for my imaginary Edward to please me tonight, and when class was done I gathered my things slowly. I waited for most of the class to leave before heading for the door, but just as I was stepping through it I ran into someone. Someone who had gorgeous copper hair, amazing green eyes, and a delicious earthy scent like sandalwood and vanilla. I inhaled deeply before realizing that it was Edward, and I was quite obviously smelling him. I was so shocked that I promptly dropped my backpack on his foot.

"Oh, SHIT! I am so sorry…" I stammered apologies as I picked up my backpack and avoided looking at him.

"No, I'm sorry, I forgot something in class and ducked back in without looking first." He smiled a crooked smile, and I thought my heart would explode then and there.

I could feel my face turning redder than a tomato, so I choked out one more apology and raced off down the hall, breathing hard. _Nice, Bella. You finally get the opportunity to talk to him, and instead you try to break his toes._

I ran so fast to my next class that I was incredibly early. I burst into the classroom, hoping for a few minutes of quiet to compose myself, only to discover that the lecture from the period before was still in progress. I was mortified anew as fifty pairs of eyes turned from the professor to me at the door, still flushed and breathing hard from my run. I quickly ducked back out of the room and reasoned that after all the stress I'd had today, missing one chemistry lecture wouldn't kill me. I turned around and headed for the safety of my tiny apartment.

I had woken up late and skipped the shower this morning, so I decided to take a nice long bath to relax. I soaked in the tub and let my worries wash away in the strawberry-scented bubbles. I shaved my legs slowly, reveling in how sexy I felt with smooth, soft skin.

Finally I heard Alice come home, and thought I'd better drag myself out of the tub.

"Bella? Are you home already?" Alice called.

"Just a sec," I yelled back as I dried off and put on my bathrobe and slippers.

"What are you doing here? Did your chem. lecture get cancelled?" Alice asked.

"No, I skipped it." I braced myself for Alice's reaction, since this was the first class I had skipped without being deathly ill.

"What?! I'm shocked, Bella, SHOCKED!" she swooned in mock horror. "Is something wrong?" she asked more seriously.

"Well, after Bio, I crashed into Edward and dropped my backpack on his foot, before running away like a complete fool." I slapped my hand to my forehead as if I could force the memory out of my brain.

"Oh, that's too bad." Alice gave me a brief sympathetic hug. She knew a little bit about Edward, having learned about my crush last year when we shared a dorm room. I had an annoying habit of talking in my sleep, and when I started moaning a guy's name, she started asking questions.

Suddenly, her face broke out in a huge grin that was all too familiar. "Hey, since you're home early, you know what we have time for?"

Oh no. I started shaking my head preemptively, but knew I would lose this battle.

"MAKEOVER!!!" Alice screamed with joy.

"Stay away, tiny elf! I have hair spray and I'm not afraid to use it!" I joked.

"Oh Bella, please? Please let me dress you up for dinner tonight? Please? I swear you'll look gorgeous…" Alice pulled out the puppy dog eyes, and I could feel my resolve weakening.

"Ugh, fine, but not too much makeup, okay?" Chapstick was my only usual cosmetic, and I'd learned the hard way that heavy makeup gave me a rash.

"Yay!" Alice lit up like she was six years old and got a Barbie Dream House on Christmas morning, and she clapped her hands as she ran to her room to find whatever outfit she was going to torture me with tonight.

Two hours of primping later, she and I were both ready to go, and I had gotten off pretty easy all things considered. Alice had dressed me in a black skirt that was only a little shorter than I was comfortable with, and a silky deep blue wrap blouse that clung to my curves in a way I had to admit was flattering even if it was a little low-cut. The shoes were an issue – she'd wanted spike heels and I voted for ballet flats, so we compromised on some tall black boots with a short heel. She had also curled my hair into soft waves, and pinned up one side in a way I actually liked. Combined with some light makeup, I felt like I could almost pass for pretty, and kind of sexy too.

Alice looked amazing as usual, with her short spiky black hair sticking out all over and a bright red halter dress that was made of different patches of fabric molded to her petite form. She had sewn it herself, as she did with many of her clothes, and I thought for the millionth time what a brilliant fashion designer she would make. She was currently a business major, but after she graduated she planned to go on to design school and start her own line.

Since it was unseasonably warm for mid-October, we left our coats at home and strolled the short distance to meet Emmett and Rose. The restaurant looked fancy, and I was secretly glad that Alice had dressed us up so that we fit right in. Uncle Emmett rose from the table to give us hugs as we came over to join him.

"Bella, baby, so nice to see you! Hi Alice, good to see you too. Don't you girls look lovely tonight! I'm surprised I don't have to beat off any gentlemen that have tagged along hoping to be invited to dinner!" Uncle Emmett winked. He was fully aware of my shyness and lack of male companionship, and liked to embarrass me at every opportunity.

Just then Aunt Rosalie returned from powdering her nose, looking like a model in her little black dress, and she gave us both hugs before we all settled down at the table.

"So Bella, is there anything new and exciting in your life?" Uncle Emmett asked the question fairly innocently, but Alice immediately started giggling.

"Not much," I said as I elbowed Alice. "I've been busy with homework these past few weeks, and working part-time at the library. Alice and I are enjoying having an apartment off-campus, though."

"Yes, we really are!" Alice grinned as she continued to stifle her laughter.

"Wait a minute, what's going on here?" Emmett arched his eyebrow. "Bella, do you have a secret boyfriend you're not telling me about? You know I promised your dad I'd look after you out here, and that includes meeting any new male friends."

"Relax, Uncle Emmett, I don't have a boyfriend. I don't date at all, honestly. I just like to focus on my studies." I hoped that would satisfy him, but I should have known better.

"Well, you can't study ALL the time, you have to get out there and meet some nice guys! Then, you can introduce them to me and I can decide if they're good enough for you or if I have to scare them away." Emmett chuckled hopefully at the thought. Luckily, his stomach growled and distracted him from embarrassing me further. "Where is the waiter? I need some bread or something…"

Just then, a heartstoppingly familiar voice spoke up beside the table. "Hello, I'm Edward, and I'll be your server this evening. Can I start you off with something to drink?"

Oh, SHIT! What is he doing here? _Well duh, obviously he works here, Bella_. I ducked my head so my face wasn't visible behind my hair, immediately grateful that Alice had left one side down. Oblivious to the blush slowly creeping across my face, Emmett and Rose ordered the house wine and Alice asked for a Diet Coke. I said "same here" in the quietest voice I could manage, and tried to control my flaming face as Edward left to get our drinks.

Unfortunately, subtlety was lost on Uncle Emmett. "Bella, what's up? Your face is redder than a Bloody Mary."

"Nothing, I'm fine, it's just a little warm in here, don't you think?" I ducked my head again as Edward returned with our drinks and a basket of bread, much to Emmett's relief. I successfully avoided looking at him as he recited the specials and asked if we had any questions about the menu. He promised to come back soon to take our order.

"Hey, that waiter is cute, huh?" Alice said when he left. "He looks familiar though..."

"He has the most gorgeous eyes," Rosalie chimed in.

"Yeah, they're so deep green, almost the color of Bella's new…" Alice clapped her hands over her mouth and looked at me in shock of what she had almost revealed.

"Bella's new what?" Emmett asked suspiciously.

"Um… a sweater. She just got a sweater that color." Alice choked out.

_Oh my God, please tell me this isn't happening!_ "Alice? I'm going to visit the restroom. If he comes back, can you just order me the..." I glanced at the menu and picked the first item. "um… mushroom ravioli? And a Caesar salad? Thanks." My eyes pleaded with her not to ask any questions, and I jumped up and made my way quickly to the bathroom.

I looked in the mirror and splashed a little cold water on my cheeks, trying to get my blush to subside. I glanced up as the door opened. "Alice, what are you doing here?"

"I just had to see if you were all right… and I have to know – is that Edward? THE Edward?" My blush came back, which told her all she needed to know. "Oh my GOD! He's so hot! And those eyes… no wonder you picked the green one! I thought it was an odd choice at first, but it all makes sense now."

"Alice!" I hissed. "Will you get back to the table so you can order for me? I really don't want to talk to him!"

"Sure, of course. Just wait here a few minutes, I've got your back, sweetie." Alice smiled and left the bathroom.

When I felt a little calmer, I went back out into the hallway but spied around the corner to wait until Edward visited the table and took our order before I decided it was safe to return.

I approached the table and saw that Alice and Uncle Emmett were deep in hushed conversation. This did not look good for me, especially when they shushed each other quickly when they saw me coming.

"What's going on, you two…" I said, warning clearly evident in my voice.

"Nothing!" Alice said brightly and grinned, and I knew she was lying. Thankfully, Aunt Rosalie started talking fashion, which Alice could never resist, and the two of them carried on a lively conversation with occasional contributions from Emmett and I until our entrees arrived. I had gotten quite good at spotting Edward's copper hair coming our way, and ducking my head so that he couldn't see my face.

The ravioli was delicious, and I managed to enjoy the meal and the conversation in relative peace until Edward returned when we were almost done.

"How is everything? Is there anything else I can get you?" Edward asked.

"Actually, Edward, there is. I've got a question for you." Uncle Emmett said lightly, as I got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. "Are you dating anyone just now?"

"Uh…" Edward was clearly taken aback by the strange inquiry, but wanted to please his customer, so he continued. "No, I tend to stay pretty busy with schoolwork and so I don't really date. Why… why do you ask?"

"Well, here's the thing," Uncle Emmett said with satisfaction. _Oh please, let there not be a thing_. "This is my niece, Bella. She's a pretty girl, right?"

I prayed to every god I knew of that Uncle Emmett would be suddenly struck dumb, but he continued speaking. "So how about you take her out on a date? She's never been on a real date before, and I think that's a crying shame, a pretty girl like her. What do you say? Of course, you have to promise to be a gentleman, or I'll find you and break your arms!" He laughed loudly, and I put my face in my hands. I heard Rosalie scolding him in the background, but the damage was done.

"Bella?" Edward's voice saying my name pierced through my embarrassment like a sword. "I thought that was you. It's me, Edward, from Advanced Biology?"

"Wait…" Emmett said, "You two have class together? Well this is just perfect! You have to take her out!" he said with a grin. _When did Uncle Emmett become my matchmaker? FUCK MY LIFE!_

I was near tears, and since the earth stubbornly refused to open up and swallow me, I jumped out of my seat, intending to make a quick escape. Unfortunately, I didn't see the other waiter walking by with the dessert tray, and I crashed into it, flipping it into the air. Since I possessed the worst luck in the history of the world, the dessert tray landed squarely on Edward, staining his crisp white shirt with strawberry shortcake and tiramisu. He had whipped cream on his cheek from a chocolate torte which decorated his ear, and caramel sauce on his chin that was dribbling thin brown lines onto his red tie.

I stared for a few seconds, not believing that this was actually happening. _It MUST be a nightmare, right?_ Then I registered the sound of Uncle Emmett laughing behind me. "Jeez, Bella, you really are new to the dating scene. Covering your date in dessert is lots of fun, but you have to wait until you're alone and you can clean them off properly! Eh? Eh?" He nudged Rosalie with his elbow, but she just smacked his arm and looked at me sympathetically.

If possible, I flushed even deeper red and the tears squeezed out of my eyes as I ran blindly for an exit. I spied a side door that led to an alley, and I burst through it, beginning to sob. It wasn't like I had any chance with Edward before, but now? I might have to drop out of school – I couldn't imagine facing him again after this amount of humiliation. I sunk down onto a nearby cardboard box, and put my face in my hands as I cried.

I heard the door open, and someone came towards me. "Go away, Alice. I'm going to sit here until I prove that it actually is possible to die of embarrassment," I said through my tears.

"Bella?"

That wasn't Alice's voice. It couldn't be… Edward?

"Bella, please don't cry. It's fine, really, it's just a little dessert. Who doesn't like dessert?" I snuck a peek through my fingers. Edward was still covered in whipped cream and various sauces, but he was smiling that crooked smile and looking at me hopefully.

"But… my uncle… so embarrassed… you must think I'm a total crazy person." I stammered out between sobs, although my tears were starting to subside as my embarrassment was overcome by curiosity. "What are you doing out here?"

"Um…" suddenly Edward seemed to be the one embarrassed. "If I tell you, will you promise that you won't think that _I'm_ a total crazy person?"

"Of course I promise," I said. "I could never think badly of you," I said very softly, but I could tell he heard me by the way his smile brightened.

"Well Bella, I kind of have a confession to make." Edward paused, and I motioned for him to continue. "When I first saw you in Microbiology last spring, I thought you were…" _Crazy? A stalker? "…_completely gorgeous."

That was unexpected.

"Really?" I squeaked out, unable to contain the mixture of joy and disbelief in my tone.

He smiled back at me. "Yes, really, and I… I'm ashamed to say it, but I kind of watched you all semester, but I was too shy to talk to you. Then I kind of bribed a girl in the registrar's office to find out your schedule for this semester so I could be in a class with you again. Every week I thought 'this is the day, I'm going to talk to her' but I always chickened out. Then, you and your uncle show up here tonight and he starts acting like some kind of fucked-up Yenta, and suddenly I'm spilling my guts to you in a smelly alley after you've been crying your eyes out."

I laughed for a moment at the mental image of Uncle Emmett in a dress and kerchief dancing around in _Fiddler on the Roof_. Then, my brain kicked in and processed the other things Edward had confessed. "You were really too shy to talk to me? I find that really hard to believe. You're…" I blushed, but continued, "…you're so handsome, and so smart, and you talk to other people in class."

He chuckled ruefully. "Yeah, I have some good friends that I talk to, and I'm normally pretty good with strangers. But with you… I would think about talking to you and just get tongue-tied. I had this grand plan to try to be your lab partner this semester, but you had already paired off with Angela by the time I got to class. I was pretty bummed."

I couldn't believe that Edward Cullen was saying these things to me, much less in an alley behind a restaurant while he was still covered in the remnants of the night's dessert specials. All this time I'd been obsessing over him, and he'd been thinking about me? I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came out.

"So…" Edward seemed to gather his courage and continued. "The moment of truth – Bella, will you go out with me?"

"Of course," I whispered quietly, blushing like mad.

Edward softly brushed his fingers across my crimson cheekbone. "I don't know where all this boldness is coming from, but… Bella? Can I… kiss you?"

This time I couldn't manage a verbal answer, so I simply nodded.

As he slowly bent his head towards me, I subtly pinched my arm to make sure this wasn't a dream. It hurt like hell, but the pain was forgotten in the next moment as Edward's mouth touched mine.

His lips were warm and soft, and as they moved against my own I felt giddy. It was so much better than any fantasy, and I smiled into the kiss as my hands snaked around his neck and tangled in his hair. His arms circled my waist, gently questioning if they could pull me closer, and I was all too happy to comply.

Acting on instinct, I tentatively opened my mouth a little and he followed, touching my tongue with his own shyly. He tasted like whipped cream and caramel sauce, reminding me that he really did need to clean up. Reluctantly, I broke the kiss and gazed dreamily at Edward for a moment before starting to giggle.

"What?" he asked, clearly worried that I was laughing at his kissing skills.

"That was amazing, but… you're still covered in dessert, and I need to go tell Alice that I'm okay. Can we talk later?"

He frowned, but agreed and we put our numbers into each other's phones. When we went back inside, he headed straight for the restrooms while I returned to the table. Alice was visibly relieved when she saw me coming, and I saw Aunt Rosalie give Uncle Emmett a stern look.

"Bella, I need to apologize, sweetie. Rose tells me that I was an ass, and I'm sorry if I embarrassed you." Emmett said sheepishly.

"It's all right," I said, willing to be magnanimous in light of what had happened in the alley. "Sorry I ran off, but I needed a minute to cool down."

Alice looked at me warily. "What happened out there, Bella? You look different, and it's not like you to just get over something like that so fast."

"Nothing, I just put it all in perspective, I guess. I'm fine, but I'm a little beat, and I've still got some homework to do. Do you mind if Alice and I pass on dessert?" I said innocently.

"Sure, sweetheart, that's fine. Maybe Rose and I will get some to go, and then go back to our hotel and make our own human sundaes!" Emmett brightened at the thought as Rosalie flushed, and then he shook his head as he realized he had probably shared too much. "It was great to see you girls. Next time, I promise I'll be on my best behavior!"

I rolled my eyes – I'd heard that one before. Of course, after tonight, even Uncle Emmett couldn't do much worse… right?

Alice and I hugged them goodnight and waved as we walked through the door and headed back to our apartment. Edward had yet to re-appear from the restroom, and I hoped he wasn't having too much trouble getting cleaned up. I almost walked straight into traffic as I started daydreaming about the kiss we had shared, but luckily Alice grabbed my arm and held me back.

"Okay, now are you going to tell me what actually happened out in that alley? You seem distracted. Was it something good?

I blushed, smiled, and nodded all at once. "I'm not ready to talk about it quite yet, though – is that okay?"

"Well fine, but I'm not happy about it!" Alice pretended to pout as we reached our apartment.

I headed straight to my room, pleading homework as an excuse, and locked my door against any further inquiries from Alice before collapsing onto my bed. I laid there with my eyes closed and a wide goofy smile on my face as I relived the kiss with Edward in the alley and thought about what he said. I imagined that our kiss had continued and escalated, and before I knew it I was rubbing my breasts gently over the silky shirt. I decided that a session with my new green vibrator was in order, but just as I was reaching for my nightstand drawer I jumped out of my skin as I was startled by a knock on my window.

Alice and I lived on the fifth floor.

I peered out into the darkness and was shocked to see Edward sitting on the fire escape. I threw open my window and motioned for him to climb in. "What on earth are you doing here?" I asked in an urgently hushed voice, not wanting to alert Alice to my unexpected visitor.

"Well, I wanted to see you again, but by the time I got cleaned up you had left. I knew where you lived… well, I knew this was your window." He stopped and looked properly abashed. "I live just a block from here, and I walk by here every time I work at the restaurant. I noticed you at the window one evening, and then I started looking for you when I walked by. Usually you're so busy studying, and sometimes you just gaze out the window and look so deep in thought… it's really beautiful." Edward blushed slightly as he seemed to remember where he was and who he was talking to.

I was floored. _I made Edward blush!_ Before I could gather my thoughts to say something, he shoved a white box towards me. I took it and sat down on my bed, motioning for him to sit next to me.

"Anyway, I felt bad that you left without dessert, and so I thought I'd bring you this." I opened the box to find a sinfully delicious looking piece of chocolate torte, complete with whipped cream. "Sorry, I guess I should have called. I was going to come to the front door, but I didn't have your apartment number. About halfway up the fire escape I realized I could have called you to get it, but by then I was a little too scared to climb down anyway, so…" Edward fidgeted, twisting his hands in his still-stained shirt, although he had removed the tie.

I couldn't contain my grin any longer. "Are you kidding? This looks amazing, and the fact that you climbed all the way up here is pretty sweet. We need a fork, huh? I'll see if I can sneak out and get one without Alice noticing."

"Or…" Edward's voice got seductively lower "I could feed you… if you want."

"Oh… OH!" I blushed, but nodded eagerly.

He broke off a piece of the torte with his fingers and swiped it in the whipped cream before moving it towards my mouth. In what I hoped was a sexy maneuver, I closed my lips around his fingers and gently sucked the chocolate off. It seemed to work, because his eyes darkened with lust and he looked at me hungrily.

"Okay, now it's your turn for a bite," I said as I broke off another piece and got a generous helping of whipped cream on top. I moved it towards his mouth, but I wasn't quite as neat as he'd been and I got cream all over his top lip.

"Oops…" I said. "Let me get that." I moved towards his lips with my finger, but remembering Uncle Emmett's advice I leaned forward to kiss it off instead.

When our lips met, the cake was forgotten as our kisses grew more passionate. What I lacked in experience, I made up for in enthusiasm as my hands began to explore Edward's body and his did the same to me. We started innocently enough by caressing each other's backs and arms, but soon I needed more. I slid my hands questioningly to the front of Edward's shirt, and slowly began undoing the buttons while trying to sense his reaction.

He moaned in encouragement, so I continued until his shirt was loose and helped him shrug it off. He was wearing just a tank top undershirt underneath, and the sight of his biceps and the outline of his well-defined chest muscles made me long to see more. He moved his lips to my neck and kissed slowly downward before stopping to nuzzle my collarbone and move his hands closer to my breasts, my nipples already hard and begging for attention beneath the silky blue shirt. I sensed that he needed some kind of permission from me to continue, so I reluctantly removed my hand from his toned pectorals and grabbed his wrist, guiding him to touch my breast as his lips returned to capture mine.

His touch was gentle and yet so strong and passionate, I couldn't help but groan my approval. "Oh, Edward, yes… more… please," I said between kisses and panting breaths.

He continued to stroke my breasts with one hand while the other went down to find the hem of my shirt and snuck underneath. I nodded and moaned again, and he lifted my shirt over my head. We continued to kiss and touch for several minutes, and by that time I was so worked up I reached back to unhook my bra so I could feel his hands directly on my skin.

Edward removed his undershirt as well, and guided me to straddle his lap as we continued to kiss passionately. My skirt quickly rode up around my thighs, and I could clearly feel his erection through his pants and the thin material of my underwear. His hands moved to my hips and helped me grind against him as we kissed and crushed our bare chests together, creating heavenly friction on my nipples as the motion dragged them across his chest. His hardness was hitting exactly the right spot, rubbing my clit as my hips ground against his, and before I knew it I felt the wonderful tension building. Soon it exploded with the same pleasure I had felt before, but amazingly magnified by Edward's presence.

Before I could stop myself, I moaned loudly. "Oh, Edward, oh… oh…" I yelled, as my body was overcome with waves of ecstasy.

When I had somewhat recovered, I smiled at Edward's awed face and I leaned down to kiss him again, but was stopped by a pounding on the door.

"Hey Bella, I know you had a hard day and you love your new vibrator because it reminds you of Edward, but do you have to be so loud? Some of us are trying to do actual homework out here!" I could almost hear Alice's teasing smile through the door as her footsteps headed back to the living room.

Oh. My. God.

I blushed fiercely and flopped away from Edward to land face-down on my bed. He lay down beside me and stroked my back soothingly until I calmed down enough to look at him. "Is there any chance you didn't hear that and we can just go back to what we were doing?" I asked hopefully.

"Well, I would like to get back to what we were doing, but I did hear what she said. So… you have a vibrator? And it reminds you of me?" he asked, his eyes sparkling.

I took a deep breath. "Well, while you were watching me and manipulating the registrar's office to get into my class, I was… admiring you from afar and kind of fantasizing about you. And I kind of…" I gathered my courage for this final confession. "I kind of bought a green vibrator because… itremindedmeofyoureyes." I finished quickly.

"Hmmm…" Edward seemed to consider for a moment. "Can I see it?"

"No! I mean… not tonight. Maybe another time?" I said shyly. I just wasn't ready to be quite that much of a vixen, although I wasn't ready to stop either. Judging from the bulge in Edward's pants, neither was he. I turned toward him, intending to return to where we were before being rudely interrupted, but he was getting up and reaching for his shirt.

"Where are you going?" I asked, disappointment clearly evident in my voice.

"Oh, I guess I thought you wanted to stop for tonight." Edward said. I smiled and shook my head no, and held out my arms in invitation. His face broke out in a bright grin before he climbed back onto the bed and moved to lie on top of me while kissing me passionately. Feeling bold at his enthusiasm, I rubbed the hard swelling in his pants and moved to unfasten his belt. As I slid the zipper down, he began to groan but quickly shoved his face into a pillow and bit it to muffle the sound. When I looked at him quizzically, he smiled. "We don't want any more interruptions from your roommate, right?"

I hummed in agreement and continued to push his pants down, palming his erection through the thin cotton of his boxer shorts. I was thrilled and elated that all of this was happening, but also nervous that I wasn't doing things right. "Um… Edward? This is really embarrassing… but I really don't have much… or any… experience with stuff and I really want to learn, so if there's anything I'm doing that's not right, just tell me. Okay?" I resumed kissing him, but he stopped me.

"Bella, are you saying that you're a virgin?" Edward looked straight at me, and I was momentarily stunned by the concern and passion swirling in his deep green eyes.

"Yeah, but it's not a big deal, I just wanted you to know in case I suck at this or something." I said, moving to kiss him again.

"Okay first of all, you're amazing and beautiful, and you could never suck at this. But Bella, baby, are you sure that you want this? Now, tonight? Because don't get me wrong, I want you so badly, but I don't want to push you. And you'd definitely be worth waiting for," he said seriously.

I broke out in a wide grin at Edward Cullen calling me 'baby' – no one had ever used a term of endearment like that for me before, and I found that I really liked it. "Yes, Edward, I'm sure. It's so hard to explain, but it just feels… right somehow. With you, here and now."

I tried yet again to kiss him and this time he returned the kiss with equal passion and a sense of purpose, each of us knowing where we were headed. I arched my back so that I could unzip my skirt, and lifted my hips so that Edward could slide it down my legs.

The moment he returned to my lips, I wrapped my legs around his waist and brought our centers into blissful contact. He rubbed against me as we kissed and caressed, and as his thrusts became more and more rhythmic I ached to have him inside of me. I pushed at his boxers with my feet until he helped me remove them, and then there was just the thin cotton of my panties left as a barrier. Edward moved off of me, and I began to protest until I saw he was reaching into his pants for his wallet and the condom he had stashed there. Good thing he was prepared, because I couldn't be held responsible for what I would have done if he wasn't. Probably run half-naked to Alice's room and start a condom hunt?

He sheathed himself while I removed my panties, and then welcomed him back with a kiss as he settled again between my legs. I could feel his hardness directly in contact with my core, which was wet and ready for him after all the kissing we'd done and the orgasm I'd already achieved. He slid into me shallowly at first, then deeper and deeper with each thrust until he was all the way in.

"Are you all right? Does it hurt?" he asked.

"It feels a little… different, but not bad. Keep going," I encouraged. I was beyond relieved not to be one of those horror story virgins who gets hurt so bad that she has to stop.

Edward continued with gentle thrusts, and I could feel my tension building again as I enjoyed the friction of our bodies moving together. We seemed to fit perfectly, and as Edward moved steadily within me while kissing me deeply, I was so full of happiness that I thought I might burst. Just then, my building tension released in more pulsing waves, and Edward tensed and stilled as his own orgasm overtook him. We held on tight, riding the out the bliss and whispering each other's names between our quiet groans of pleasure.

When we calmed, Edward slipped out of me and disposed of the condom while I got under the covers. I held them open in invitation, unsure of whether Edward would want to stay the night, but he eagerly got underneath and cuddled me to his chest before giving me a gentle kiss.

We laid there for a while, exchanging soft touches and silently enjoying the bond we had formed. When I couldn't resist nature's call any longer, I hopped out of bed and quickly used the bathroom, doing an abbreviated nighttime routine and throwing on a sleep shirt before heading back to bed. Edward had put his boxers back on, but nothing else (to my delight) and he used the bathroom as well before turning off the light and cuddling with me under the covers.

We both sighed in contentment, and after a few moments, Edward spoke. "So Bella… about that date? Are you free tomorrow night?"

I giggled and smiled into Edward's sculpted chest. "Yes, I'd like that."

"Good," he said sleepily. His breathing became slower and steadier, and I could tell he was asleep.

I wasn't ready to let go of my blissful state quite yet, and I allowed myself to imagine all sorts of wonderful dates with Edward. I smiled to myself as I enjoyed the idea of actually having a boyfriend, going on dates, doing normal couple things, and eventually introducing him to my family.

My family…

Crap.

How in the hell was I going to explain this to Uncle Emmett?

~ The End ~

* * *

**Today, I went out to eat with my aunt and uncle, I barely looked at the male waiter because I'm a shy person. Then my uncle says: "YOU SHOULD TAKE OUT MY NIECE! She's never dated in her life." I'm 19 and my match maker is my uncle. FML**


End file.
